Vanessa Bell: 1879-1941

Fabulous exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery looking at the life and work of Vanessa Bell.

It was so good to see Bell’s work in its own right rather than being shown as part of a group. I loved the fact the show looked at her design work as well as her paintings including a lovely case of her book covers for her sister Virginia Woolf’s books and material designs in different colour ways.

There were lots of old friends here but also lots of work I’d never seen before. They had got some really good loans from American’s galleries and private collections and it was a real treat to see those works. I’d never seen the self-portrait which was used a s the poster before and I loved the way she paints her checked dress and the engaging expression which just makes you want to sit down and talk to her. Old favourites included “Iceland Poppies” which I’d never seen as a comment of opium before but now it’s obvious.

I was very touched by her painting of a bunch of flowers and fruit Duncan Grant had sent her from Tunis in the room of still lives and the comment in a letter from her which said she had painted them because they were beautiful. In the same room I loved a later still life with a bowl of figs.

The last room brought together studies for Studland Beach as well as the picture itself plus pictures inspired by the summer camps by the Pagans before the First World War. It was fascinating to see a painting of the camp next to a screen based on it which I’d always seen as quite abstract.

I think my favourite picture in the show was one of the early, slightly abstracted ones, called “Street Corner Conversation”. I liked the way the street corner was shown by blocks of colour which farmed the four abstract but expressive figures. But frankly I could have given any of the pictures in the show house room!

Closes on 4 June 2017

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